Analysis of the potential, challenges and feasibility of converting an existing underground porous gas storage to hydrogen storage (Volume 88) (English shop)

Preview

Extract, PDF (1.2 MB)
Table of Contents, PDF (63 KB)

In this study, the application of existing underground porous gas storage sites for a prospective subsurface hydrogen storage operation is analyzed. The existing geological and technical conditions currently used to store natural gas are evaluated to assess their suitability for hydrogen storage and operation, also considering the presence of biochemical reactions.

The examination of biochemical methanogenic reactions was performed in laboratory investigations at three different temperatures, using microfluidic devices and a combined visual and gas chromatographic measurement approach. A numerical microfluidic model was developed using the open-source numerical simulator DuMux. The Double-Monod model was extended by a space-limiting function, and the growth parameters were calibrated within the simulation using the microbial observations and gas chromatographic measurement results.

At the field scale, the gas withdrawal development from a hypothetical natural gas and hydrogen storage site was modeled and compared. Furthermore, an analytical method was developed to individually investigate the effect of a single gas characteristic on the withdrawal rate.

In the final step, this withdrawal behavior and the microbial parameters were incorporated into a ten-year replacement schedule. This was used to analyze a conversion process in which natural gas is replaced by hydrogen, considering both abiotic and biochemically active cases, in order to assess the future storage potential.